Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Connell and Kelly Bockrath.
Kara and Kelly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We are best friends, entrepreneurs, and Long Beach, locals. In 2010, we were both running individual businesses based in Long Beach. We knew we wanted to start a business together, we just didn’t know what that business would be.
At the time, we were both obsessed with airbrush tanning, but finding a place in long beach that did decent spray tans proved to be more difficult than expected. Eventually, we started talking about opening up our own salon in Long Beach. During that time, we were also introduced to sugaring. Since both of us struggle with sensitive skin and eczema, waxing was never an option for either of us as a form of hair removal, due to the chemicals and the abrasive nature of the service. As we continued to research, we found that the main ingredient in the Airbrush tanning solution is DHA – a derivative of sugar. It was like a light bulb came on.
These two services were the perfect complement to one another with sugar as the shared ingredient. From there, the concept of Bronzed Sugar, our first beauty boutique, was born. Over the last seven years, we have opened four stores, and services thousands of clients. This year was especially exciting for us, as we announced our rebrand to Sugar Cove.
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not! Honestly, though, what road worth traveling isn’t a little rocky at some points? Like most small businesses, we have had our share of ups and downs. One unique struggle was when we were starting out, very few people had heard of sugaring as a form of hair removal – including estheticians. Building a staff and a client base was a challenge, but we combatted it through educating our community. To this day, we maintain education as a huge part of our mission.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sugar Cove story. Tell us more about the business.
We specialize in sugaring and airbrush tanning. Sugaring is a natural hair removal technique that dates back to ancient Egypt. By removing hair at the root and in the direction of hair growth, it exfoliates dead skin cells which results in less ingrown hairs and smooth skin. It is more gentle than traditional wax and is perfect for those with sensitive skin.
One of our initial goals, when we began seven years ago, was to create a space where women felt accepted, supported, and safe. We worked hard to turn that vision into a reality for both our clients and staff. That ideal really transcends the beauty industry and makes it about a larger purpose, one that we are very proud of.
We are grateful for all the love and support from the community. We acknowledge that by making it a priority to stay connected, and give back, organize community events, sponsor local teams, and donate to local cause and charities, we have secured a loyal community that supports us as much as we support them. It’s thanks to our loyal clients and our incredible staff that we are able to expand our services and take our business to the next level.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Natural beauty solutions (meaning beauty products and services that do not pose health risks, toxins, irritants and chemicals) are growing, and they are growing exponentially. This trend is true for skincare in general but holds true for hair removal, and feminine care. As a society, we are beginning to drop the shame and stigma around vagina health and pubic hair care. Natural beauty solutions for traditionally “private areas” will continue to trend, and offer ALL bodies healthier ways to take care of their most intimate areas. We are extremely excited and honored to be part of that movement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thesugarcove.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesugarcove/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesugarcove/?ref=br_rs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_sugar_cove
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